Top ten sci-fi
Much like horror this is a very difficult genre to pin down because it can cover such a wide range of styles. Someone once told me a quote from a well-known sci-fi author who said something along the lines of “Science fiction depicts events that show us where technology and science might lead us in the future.” Which lead to a debate about Star Wars and how by that definition it couldn’t be sci-fi because by its own admission it takes place “A long, long time ago” not in the far away future. Of course this is completely absurd and nobody would deny that Star Wars is a sci-fi film I simply use it as an example of how hard it is to boil down the essence of sci-fi.
Usual disclaimers for my top ten apply.
- These are not what I objectively consider the best. Just the ones I enjoy the most.
- They are in no particular order.
- I constantly change my mind so I might forget much better movies.
Anyway onwards for glory.
10 – Aliens. Godamn this movie is just good fun. What’s most surprising is that it actually runs with the canon of the original but Cameron manages to make it jump from sci-fi horror into a pure adrenaline fueled action film but maintaining the same stark visual style and tension of the original.
9 – The Matrix. The concept of a virtual world isn’t anything new (hi Tron) most films tend to stick with placing the action squarely in one of the two worlds. The Matrix totally ditched this and has the heroes fighting battles on two fronts both equally important to the central story. While some of the effects look a bit dated and bullet time has become the most over used technique in action movies now it’s still a brilliant and original sci-fi movie. Oh and the sequels aren’t that bad.
8 – Terminator 2: Judgment Day. A second entry for James “King of the world” Cameron, while some of the most famous lines people remember actually come from the original this is unarguably the better film. The effects still look great today and it works just as well as a sci-fi and an action film and like Aliens manages to cross over to appeal to both audiences. The sequels are that bad.
7 – Jurassic Park. Another film where the effects still stand up as well today as they did when they first hit the big screen. While the obvious warnings about playing God and the trope of messing with things best left alone are handle with all the subtlety of a rhino tap dancing through your living room it’s still a brilliant film that balances tension and action to great effect.
6 – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Apart from having one of the most over used quotes in sci-fi this earns its place simply for being one of the most emotionally engaging sci-fi films of all time. It perfectly balances plot, character development and (admittedly still kind of corny) effects to deliver a truly amazing story. If you don’t shed a tear during Spock’s death then I fear for your emotional well- being.
5 – Starship Troopers. Everyone these days loves to talk about its lampooning of wartime propaganda but at its heart this is just a brilliant sci-fi action flick. The action barely lets up for more than a few minutes at a time and the character development is completely underappreciated as are the characters themselves who manage to rise above their stereotypes and be genuinely likeable despite all their jock posturing.
4 – Serenity. I’m not a died in the wool brown coat and if I’m honest didn’t really enjoy the series that much but the film is brilliant. The pacing is brilliant, the humour never feels forced, and the action scenes are a joy to watch and even if you’ve never seen the series before the film manages to make you emotionally invested in the characters and genuinely care about their mission and their ultimate fates. Even if you hated Buffy, Angel, Dr Horrible and everything else Joss Whedon has done this deserves to be checked out at least once.
3 – Dark City. This is nearly impossible to describe without spoiling the plot but it involves a vast conspiracy about alien parasites done in a neo noir thriller style. It doesn’t move at a break neck pace but at no point is it boring and the entire cast deliver great performances including Richard O’Brien as the incredibly creepy Mr Hand.
2 – Planet of the Apes. It’s a testament to the strength of the story and the amazing cast that you completely forget you’re watching men and women in rubber ape suits and completely suspend disbelief for the entire film. Even today with the cold war over the emotional impact and themes of the film still resonate as much now as they did in nineteen sixty eight.
1 – The original Star Wars trilogy. OK I cheated but it’s difficult to pick favourites and really the overarching story of the trilogy makes each film equally important. Even ignoring the fact that they pioneered techniques which changed the way films are made they are just extremely well made and fun films that appeal to sci-fi fans of all ages and are still finding new fans with each passing generation.
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Thundercats 2011
Reboots, the word alone makes critics and fans shudder with fear and shit bricks and not without good reason. For every good reboot out there are ten terrible ones. By that token it’s easy to see why anyone would be wary of expecting too much of the new Thundercats reboot. Thankfully the hour long opening episode shatters the worst of those fears.
The plot has been changed significantly from the original series and introduces the reimagined cast of teenage Thundercats. The move from an almost all adult cast to a teen or young adult cast is quite bold but works well here and frees up the writers to play around with the back story. Lion-O and Tygra are recast as foster siblings (the latter being the foster child), Cheetara is recast as a junior cleric and apprentice to Jaga, Wiley Kit and Wiley Kat are street children relying on their wits to survive and finally Snarf is largely now mute (thank Bob) and just Lion-O’s pet rather than the annoying accident prone hostage victim many people will remember.
Some of the cast like Jaga, Claudus (Lion-O’s father), Panthro and the main villains are only seen briefly enough to establish them in and it’s doubtful the first two will be recurring characters unless the writers go down the same path as the original series and have them return as spirits.
The pilot largely just sets up the story arc for the first season. Mumm-ra and his henchmen attack Thundara killing off or enslaving most of the Thundercats in the process while Lion-O and company escape with the Sword of Omens and set out to explore Third Earth in search of the fabled Book of Omen. There is enough left over from the old series for old fans to feel comfortable and see what’s coming - including the famous “Thundercats ho!” and Mumm-ra’s transformation incantation - but just enough changed that it doesn’t feel like a complete retread.
The sound production overall and particularly the voice acting is top notch and includes Larry Kenny who voiced Lion-O in the 1980s series returning to voice his father Claudus this time around while Will Friedle (Batman Beyond and Kim Possible) takes over duties for Lion-O. The rest of the cast reads like a who’s who of great voice actors from animation and video games stretching back over the last forty years. The only notable exception being Emmanuelle Chriqui best known for her role as Sloan in Entourage appearing as Cheetara in her first animated role.
Sadly there’s no theme song in the pilot episode so we’ll just have to wait and see if the team have come up with something to match that iconic 80s theme song.
The character designs and art are well done and update the costumes quite nicely and no doubt you’ll be seeing more than a few of the new outfits at Comic Con in San Diego later this year. Sadly the art is let down slightly by the animation which at times feels a bit rushed and jerky at times and silky smooth at others but given that that a lot of this was probably due to budget constraints with the pilot hopefully it will improve in the coming episodes.
Where the show truly succeeds is updating the setting and story enough that it remains fresh for older viewers many of whom will have grown up as fans of the original and old enough to have children of their own now and might be discerning about how much and what they let their children watch. Even the hardened cynic who knows it’s just a marketing tool for the toy company will find it hard to resist saying to little Jimmy “Hey son Thundercats is on do you want to watch it?” for themselves as much as the kid. Unlike the spate of Transformers reboots which have been massively hit and miss and arguably none of which have managed to truly capture the spirit of the original. Also finally it’s a cartoon that older geeks don’t have to be ashamed to admit they watch *cough*friendshipismagic*cough*
The plot has been changed significantly from the original series and introduces the reimagined cast of teenage Thundercats. The move from an almost all adult cast to a teen or young adult cast is quite bold but works well here and frees up the writers to play around with the back story. Lion-O and Tygra are recast as foster siblings (the latter being the foster child), Cheetara is recast as a junior cleric and apprentice to Jaga, Wiley Kit and Wiley Kat are street children relying on their wits to survive and finally Snarf is largely now mute (thank Bob) and just Lion-O’s pet rather than the annoying accident prone hostage victim many people will remember.
Some of the cast like Jaga, Claudus (Lion-O’s father), Panthro and the main villains are only seen briefly enough to establish them in and it’s doubtful the first two will be recurring characters unless the writers go down the same path as the original series and have them return as spirits.
The pilot largely just sets up the story arc for the first season. Mumm-ra and his henchmen attack Thundara killing off or enslaving most of the Thundercats in the process while Lion-O and company escape with the Sword of Omens and set out to explore Third Earth in search of the fabled Book of Omen. There is enough left over from the old series for old fans to feel comfortable and see what’s coming - including the famous “Thundercats ho!” and Mumm-ra’s transformation incantation - but just enough changed that it doesn’t feel like a complete retread.
The sound production overall and particularly the voice acting is top notch and includes Larry Kenny who voiced Lion-O in the 1980s series returning to voice his father Claudus this time around while Will Friedle (Batman Beyond and Kim Possible) takes over duties for Lion-O. The rest of the cast reads like a who’s who of great voice actors from animation and video games stretching back over the last forty years. The only notable exception being Emmanuelle Chriqui best known for her role as Sloan in Entourage appearing as Cheetara in her first animated role.
Sadly there’s no theme song in the pilot episode so we’ll just have to wait and see if the team have come up with something to match that iconic 80s theme song.
The character designs and art are well done and update the costumes quite nicely and no doubt you’ll be seeing more than a few of the new outfits at Comic Con in San Diego later this year. Sadly the art is let down slightly by the animation which at times feels a bit rushed and jerky at times and silky smooth at others but given that that a lot of this was probably due to budget constraints with the pilot hopefully it will improve in the coming episodes.
Where the show truly succeeds is updating the setting and story enough that it remains fresh for older viewers many of whom will have grown up as fans of the original and old enough to have children of their own now and might be discerning about how much and what they let their children watch. Even the hardened cynic who knows it’s just a marketing tool for the toy company will find it hard to resist saying to little Jimmy “Hey son Thundercats is on do you want to watch it?” for themselves as much as the kid. Unlike the spate of Transformers reboots which have been massively hit and miss and arguably none of which have managed to truly capture the spirit of the original. Also finally it’s a cartoon that older geeks don’t have to be ashamed to admit they watch *cough*friendshipismagic*cough*
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